Emission of polluting gas products in the atmosphere has been a concern for several decades. Notably the emission of CO2 has been subject to worldwide conferences such as UNFCC conferences held in Rio de Janairo, Kyoto and Buenos Aires.
In an attempt to reduce the emission of so-called greenhouse gases, i.e. gases that promote the greenhouse effect, such as CO2 and various nitrogen oxides, the European Union has, with the Kyoto protocol, set an objective to reduce the emission amounts of these green houses gases, CO2. and NOx, by 8% compared to the level of 1990. To this end, the European Commission has published a guideline (2003/87/EG) for trade in CO2 rights. According to this guideline all EU countries should have started a system for trading of CO2 rights in 2005. Industries that are intensive users of energy do get an allocation of emission rights at the start. Emission rights can then be traded between companies using emission rights, but as in any other trades, financial institutions like banks and also private persons can enter the trade. Buying emission rights without using them reduces the total available amount and thereby puts pressure on actual reduction of CO2.
Another way to reduce the total amount of greenhouse gases is to invest in new forests, thus binding CO2 in wood.
A private individual, who wants to know how his way of spending money influences the environment, and more in particular the emission of greenhouse gases, has today no system and no method at his disposal to determine the contribution he makes to this emission problem and no system for keeping track of these contributions based on what he buys.
US Patent Application US 2003/0055665 discloses a system and a method for tracking pollution avoided by an employer by adopting a telework scheme for his employees. This, however refers to avoiding pollution by reducing traveling. It does not account for the contribution to pollution by a purchase transaction in both different amounts and different kinds of products.